An interesting collaboration between instrumentalist and singer Adamów and four traditional singers. The production's very heavy-handed at times, but the material and presentation is never less than fascinating. There's a real sense of adventure here, as well as collecting songs that might otherwise be lost. Recorded live near the border of Poland and Ukraine, this is a fabulous document
Seit über zehn Jahren sammelt Jarek Adamów alte polnische Musik (2004 präsentierte erseine Lieder der mittelalterlichen polnischen Barden in Rudolstadt).Diesmal fand er an der polnisch-ukrainischen Grenze, gleichsam als Zeugen einer verlorenen kulturellen Welt, eine kleine Gruppe von Musikern, die (in traditioneller Kleidung, auf dem Cover zu sehen) inden Kirchen alte polnische Lieder singen, instrumental nur spärlichbegleitet (ein Akkordeon, etwas Percussion). Er hat diese Lieder mitsehr einfachen technischen Mitteln aufgenommen und präsentierteine Auswahl davon als, wie er findet, authentische und ehrlicheMusik. Auf diese puritanischen Aufnahmen muss man sich sehreinlassen, um ein Gefühl für die Stimmungen und Situationenzu bekommen, an die diese Lieder erinnern. Lieder über längstvergangene Dinge oder über sehr alte Menschen und derenErinnerungen. Bedauerlich, dass es an Begleittext fehlt, der denZugang erleichtern würde. Musik jenseits von jeder Mode, fürsich wertvoll.
Young Polish revival traditionalmusician Jarek Adamów, whose solo second album was reviewed infR 252, here combines his singing, melodeon, foot-stamping and bass drum with the voices of four elderly surviving members, one male and three female, of 1980-founded village music group Sami Swoi from the Polish-Ukrainian border. They’re not virtuoso singers, but Adamów says he wanted to make something a little like the archive recordings he loves. He points out that today’s listenersmight find some of the subject matter strange, but says “I just tried to catch the moment in time which was about 70 years ago, and be as authentic as possible”. Whatever the disputes one might have with the concept and possibility of ‘authenticity’, he has certainly made an album which is more varied and enjoyable than simply recording these singers as is, with no musical input from him; the result is uncondescending, non-flashy and appealing in its warmth, and it brings out the melodic variety and interest of the songs. The release, on his own label, the first of what he plans as a series, has just a simple single-fold booklet; financial resourcesare probably tight, but an expansion would have been welcome, to include more information about the songs, and also about these four people - photographed for the cover in traditional costume and calf-deep in snow - and their relation to their tradition.
Jarek Adamów and Paweł Brzozowski "Contemporary Polish Village Music" Folken Music, 2006 Jarek Adamów & Sami Swoi "Expedition to the Lost World Part 1 - Winter" Folken Music, 2006 Two older releases by the Polish multi instrumentalist Jarek Adamów. In the last issue of FolkWorld I wrote a review of two of his more recent projects[44] and in 2003 I put his solo album in my list of best albums of the year. These two older releases show the creativity of Adamov. With constantly the rich Polish tradition as basic element he keeps surprising me with new ideas and new sounds. On the album he recorded with Paweł Brzozowski, he brings the sounds and traditions of the country together with some modern Polish rock guitars and programming. What I like is that even in the rock parts you still find the rawness and pureness of the Polish culture. With sometimes almost industrial sounds, Adamów creates an impressive landscape and builds a bridge between the old and new Polish society. How different the other album is! Here he plays the accordion, bass drum and sings together with the traditional vocal female trio Sami Swoi. This is back to the basic elements of the Polish music, the aged voices of the three older woman, the simple rhythms and the rich sound of the accordion. Totally different than the other album, but somehow they reflect the same feeling. With adding these two older releases to my Adamów CD collection I’m getting more and more impressed by the work of this Polish musician and singer.